Basketball City - Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks finally in sync

When was the last time the Nets and Knicks had homecourt advantage on the first weekend of the NBA playoffs? How about never? The city that never sleeps is dreaming a hoops dream as the two teams battle opponents a few miles and a river apart.

Mike Vaccaro thinks its the best time for pro hoops fans since May 1974 when the Knicks were winning their last first round in the Willis Reed - Walt Frazier era and the Nets were dousing each other with champagne to celebrate the first of two ABA championships of the Julius Erving era.

The Nets and Knicks were often good, although never good enough to win it all, in the ensuing years, but rarely if ever in sync. This season, that changes.

"The crowd will be different, the NBA floor is going to be different, as soon as you walk in that arena, it’s going to be totally different," Reggie Evans told the Post's Mike Vaccaro. "The feeling, just the rush of what’s coming into you …

"Man," he said.

• Knicks, Nets in playoffs returns NYC to status as the basketball city - Mike Vaccaro - New York Post